


A Church Bell’s Afternoon

by belivaird_st



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-17 01:55:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21046391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st
Summary: Carol enrolls Rindy to a new school.





	A Church Bell’s Afternoon

Carol held Rindy’s hand towards the metal iron-gate fence where they both witnessed several other schoolchildren playing around the grassy field on the other side, running around, kicking tether balls, and skipping rope. They were all yelling out, squealing, and laughing. A noisy bunch. The administrators were huddled together, smoking, by the picnic tables near the side of the building. Unlike their students, they were close-minded, quiet folks, who judged others, immensely.

Carol breathed out the crisp air, giving her daughter’s red mitten-clad hand a playful swing. Rindy inched closer beside her mother, not liking the wacky scenery one bit. Going to a new school was not so easy, especially one she would be enrolled miles away from her own district in New Jersey. Her father lost sole custody and would be serving time for counterfeit fraud, which surprised the whole family, including Therese.

“You see everyone playing? They look like they’re having fun,” Carol spoke now.

“How come they’re all wearing the same clothes, Mommy?” Rindy asked, noticing the knitted gray sweater vests, navy blazers and black stockings with plaid ascots for the girls’ and bow ties for the boys’.

“They’re in uniforms,” Carol explained. 

“Pollywog Elementary doesn’t make us wear uniforms,” Rindy whined. Thinking about her old school breaks her heart. “I miss everybody there! I want to go back!”

“Honey, Mommy lives _here_, in New York,” Carol gently pointed out. “I just want you to give Saint Gladys a chance, alright?” she began moving her feet into a walk with Rindy following suite. They slipped through the front gate door with a few curious eyes looking at them. Included the administrators that were blowing smoke fumes out of their mouths and nostrils.

Saint Gladys’ Prep School head advisor, Jocelyn Worthington, stuck her hand out for Rindy’s, who shook it slightly.

“My daughter, Rindy,” Carol introduced, pressing a hand on the back of her fitted jacket. 

“The paperwork I received, lists her as, Dorinda,” Miss Worthington informed notably.

“We call her ‘Rindy’ for short...” Carol cleared her throat.

“That’s fine by you, Mrs. Aird, but I prefer calling your daughter by her full name. Hello, Dorinda. I am Miss Worthington, your head advisor here, at Saint Gladys Preparatory School. If you follow the rules, life will be kind to you. If you disobey them, you’ll suffer the consequences. Understood?”

Rindy nodded her head somberly, watching the raven haired principal cup one hand to her ear.

“Speak up now..”

_“Yes,”_ Rindy forced out the word, disliking the woman even more.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Missus Worthington,” the five-year-old mumbled.

“Not Missus—_Miss_—I am not married.”

_Gee, I wonder why,_ Carol thought. 

“Try it now.”

“Yes, Miss Worthington,” Rindy recited. She jumped from the low droning sound of a chruchbell going off.

“That was our lady bell telling us Afternoon Recess has ended,” Miss Worthington explained.

“Lady Bell?” Carol repeated. She steered Rindy towards two forest green vinyl sofa chairs to sit down. Her daughter climbed up on one of them with her feet dangling off the edge of the seat.

“Yes, it was a gift by the church twenty-eight years ago. We’ve named her Lady Bell in honor.”

“How very... touching,” Carol found the word at last. She fiddled with her bauble bracelets around her wrist, nervously. “How does a typical day start for kindergarten?”

Miss Worthington leaned back in her leather chair behind her dark oak desk and folded her hands together. 

“Everybody gets Morning Recess before their classes start. Then after lady bell rings, Dorinda will line up with her age group and go inside to begin Sentence Structures, Reading, Mathematics, Cursive—”

“Cursive? For a five-year-old?!” Carol exclaimed.

“It’s a requirement. We also teach the students how to rope climb and learn archery.”

“What’s archery?” Rindy asked.

“Shooting targets with a bow and arrow,” Miss Worthington said. “Have you ever used an arrow, Dorinda?”

“No, and she will not,” Carol interrupted. “Miss Worthington—what about learning the basics? Learning your colors, shapes, the alphabet...”

The head advisor laughed. She made Carol feel dumb for asking.

“Saint Gladys’ Prep isn’t some nursery rhyme school, Mrs. Aird. We are much more than that. We are mature and very skillful...” 

“I want to shoot an arrow, Mommy,” Rindy kicked her feet eagerly. “And climb rope!”

Miss Worthington smirked. “Let’s talk about uniforms and the school rulebook.”

—xXx—

“...They'll teach her cursive...?” 

Therese brought her forked mashed potato close to her mouth to take a bite at the table, watching Carol lean over towards Rindy to wipe hamburger off her chin with a napkin. They were having potatoes and creamed corn with sloppy joes they cooked on the stove. Carol had been telling Therese about Rindy’s new private school. The more she got into the discussion, the less she was liking it. 

“Even archery. The head advisor acted as if that was a normal, everyday activity.”

“I’ll get to shoot an arrow,” Rindy announced. “And climb rope!”

“Sounds neat, sweetheart,” Therese smiled.

“Sounds dangerous,” Carol muttered. “What happens when a kid falls and cracks open his head?”

Rindy squirmed over her plate. “Will I crack my head, Mommy?”

“No you won’t, Rindy,” Therese quickly intervened. “Tell me about the uniforms...”

—xXx—

Therese wrapped her knitted cardigan-sleeve arms around Carol’s waist from behind as they both stood in the backyard, watching Rindy toss up piles of leaves. She pressed her lips against Carol’s skin with a soft kiss before resting her chin on her shoulder. Carol held onto Therese’s cool, slender hand and gripped tightly.

“I’m sure Rindy will like Saint Gladys’ Prep School,” Therese murmured.

“Maybe,” Carol replied. She began to release their hands to pull away and turn around. They kissed each other briefly on the lips, embracing one another once more.


End file.
